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Ball Butt Dag Pistol

Presented by the NRA National Firearms Museum

Elaborately adorned with inlays of bore and ivory, this German "Dag" — as early wheel-lock pistols were sometimes called — had a unique ball-butt feature that not only provided excellent balance for the heavy barrel, but allowed the pistol to be quickly wielded as a club. Cavalry forces armed with similar dags practiced a close-combat drill where mounted troopers discharged their barrels, reversed their pistols and swung them against padded targets. The Ball Butt Dag Pistol can be seen at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia.